3 more deaths reported from Ike

[uppityperson]

Source: Chronicle

GALVESTON, Texas — The death toll in Texas from Hurricane Ike has surpassed 20. Galveston County Medical Examiner Stephen Pustilnik said Thursday that three more deaths were attributed to Hurricane Ike, bringing the state total to 22. Nationwide, 56 people have died.

Pustilnik said one victim drowned when the storm surge went through his house. Another was an alcoholic who died after he was deprived of alcohol. Toxicology tests were pending, but Pustilnik says he may have died from seizures.

The third new victim had Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and died because medical care stopped, Pustilnik said.

He said it it's still unclear whether there will be many or few more bodies found. "It's very much unknown," he said. "There are large parts of the county that haven't been searched. Just like in Katrina and Rita, debris has to be sifted through."

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6009340.html

[glowing]

1. Does that really mean like 300 or 3000 more deaths reported?

[uppityperson]

3. 3. Three. III. Tres. Trois. Drei. Three more official bodies found. Many missing

more will show up. Just posting as official reports come in. They have been searching for survivors so far. Now the search for the deceased will happen. Gradually.

[Alexander]

2. News of deaths will trickle out gradually to reduce the shock value

Yet I'm sure Ike could've been just as devastating as Katrina.

[uppityperson]

4. AP article addresses that, in part...

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jG1m4XT341oCKXPMIZlKffdhP9vwD939C6H80

Ike's death toll in the U.S. stood at 56, with 22 in Texas, and there was still the fear that more victims would be found. After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, bodies continued to turn up for more than a year.

"It's very much unknown," said Galveston County Medical Examiner Stephen Pustilnik. "There are large parts of the county that haven't been searched. Just like in Katrina and Rita, debris has to be sifted through."

The search of Bolivar Peninsula for survivors ended after five passes across the island, where Ike's storm surge scraped entire blocks of beach homes into the sea. Officials allowed an animal rescue group to come in Thursday and search for pets.

"Today we needed to get a feel for the area and see if there is any hope left for the animals here," said Richard Crook, the rapid response manager for Best Friends Animal Society.